Bruce McArthur Talks His Way Out of an Assault Arrest, Toronto Police Interview, 2016

Name: Bruce McArthur Talks His Way Out of an Assault Arrest, Toronto Police Interview, 2016
Uploaded: 2021-11-03
Duration: 11 min 36 s
Description: Nineteen months before his arrest for murder, Bruce McArthur sat in a Toronto police interview room, explained away a choking complaint and was released. He went on to kill two more men.

Nineteen months before his arrest for murder, Bruce McArthur sat in a Toronto police interview room, explained away a choking complaint and was released. He went on to kill two more men.

Subject: Bruce McArthur
Interviewer: Det. Paul Gauthier, Toronto Police Service
Recorded: June 20, 2016
Runtime: 11:36

Content warning: Describes a sexual encounter and choking.

The Interview

On the evening of June 20, 2016, Bruce McArthur, a 64-year-old landscaper, was arrested in Toronto after a man told police that McArthur had tried to strangle him in the back of a van. That night McArthur sat in a Toronto Police Service interview room (the officers give their unit as 32 Division on the recording) with Detective Paul Gauthier and a constable, waived his right to speak to a lawyer, and gave his account. The interview lasted eleven minutes. Afterwards he was released without charge.

Historical Context

From 2010 to 2017 several men disappeared from Toronto's gay village, most of them from marginalised communities. Two police task forces, Project Houston (2012) and Project Prism (2017), looked for answers. McArthur was not identified as the killer until January 18, 2018. He pleaded guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder in January 2019 and was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Circumstances of the Interview

According to the agreed statement of facts read at his sentencing, the officer released McArthur in 2016 believing his statement to be credible. McArthur had a prior assault conviction from 2003, which the 2016 investigation did not find. Two of the men he later admitted killing, Selim Esen and Andrew Kinsman, died in 2017, after this interview. The Toronto Police Service later brought disciplinary charges against Gauthier over how the complaint was handled; he was found not guilty in August 2021. The video, shown at that hearing, was released to the media that autumn.

What the Interview Covers

McArthur tells the officers that he and the man had arranged to meet in a Tim Hortons parking lot at Bathurst and Finch and had a consensual sexual encounter in his van. He says the man wanted rough play, that he put his hand to the man's throat "just for a few seconds", and that the man then grabbed him by the throat. He says he drove away when the man called 911, then went to a police station of his own accord to "give my side of it". The officers ask about the van, the time, whether anyone else could have seen, and whether either man was injured.

What Makes the Recording Significant

The recording is one of the clearest records of a missed chance to stop a serial killer. It shows a calm, cooperative man presenting himself as the victim. An independent civilian review of Toronto police missing-persons investigations, led by retired judge Gloria Epstein ("Missing and Missed", 2021), examined this investigation.

Archival Importance

The video is a Toronto Police record that reached the public only through a court-ordered release. It preserves McArthur's own words in police custody before any suspicion of murder had fallen on him.

Important Caveats

McArthur's account of the encounter is his own claim, made to avoid a charge. The complainant reported that McArthur tried to strangle him, and he is not named here. The interview's date and times are those stated on the recording.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay, so just before we begin here, I just want to let you know that we are being audio and video recorded right now because there's a camera just up in the corner, and this device here is the microphone [unclear], so it's picking up everything that we say, okay. The time right now is 10:17 p.m., and today's date is Monday, June 20, 2016. My name is Detective Paul Gauthier, G-A-U-T-H-I-E-R, badge number 5371 of 32 Division. My partner here is?

Constable: Constable [unclear surname: "Dying"], [badge] 10055, 32 Division.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay, sir, and your name is Bruce McArthur, and if you can spell it for me, please,

McArthur: B-R-U-C-E and McArthur, M, small c, capital A-R-T-H-U-R.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay, sir, and right now, you're under arrest. You're placed under arrest for the offence of assault, okay. You've been brought here at 32 Division for the purposes of being investigated for that offense, okay. So, a few minutes ago, we just had a brief conversation, and I introduced myself, and I gave you an opportunity to provide a statement, and you said that you wanted to do so, is that correct?

McArthur: That's correct.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay, and at the same time, I also asked you if you wanted to speak to a lawyer before doing so. I'm going to ask you again, do you wish to do that before we begin?

McArthur: No, it's fine.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay, sir. So, an allegation has been made against you, and this officer in just a moment is going to let you know exactly what that allegation is, okay. What I'm going to do to you right now is just read you a caution and let you know that you're being investigated for the offence of assault, okay. You're not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so, but whatever you say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?

McArthur: I do.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay. Do you wish to say anything in answer to the charge? Again, do you wish to provide us a statement, some clarity as to what happened?

McArthur: Yes.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay. So just to understand, sir, again, you're not under any obligation to give us the statement whatsoever. You're allowed to cease communicating with us at any time, but we're certainly giving you an opportunity to present your side of the story. So this officer is just going to give you a little [overview] here of what's being alleged, okay?

Constable: So the allegations are that around 6.30 p.m. this evening, you met up with a gentleman by the name of [name not audible on the released recording] at the intersection of Bathurst and Finch. During the course of your involvement with them, there was an allegation made of assault, which included choking, was the allegation made, and that's basically why you're under arrest today for that assault. Okay.

Det. Paul Gauthier: So, sir, if you would like to provide us with your account of what occurred earlier this evening.

McArthur: Well, we talked about going for dinner. He said he needed to take a shower, so I said I'd meet him at the Tim Hortons at Finch and Bathurst, and so he arrived and we were going to have sex, and he suggested doing the back of his truck since it hadn't been used yet. It was a brand new truck. I said, oh, there's more room in the back of my van, so we went to my van, and we started kissing, and I put my hand down in his pants, and he wanted me to squeeze his penis, but then he said he wanted it harder to pinch it, to pinch and pinch and pinch as hard as I could, so I did, and he got aroused by that, and so then I thought, okay, he likes it. So I put my hand to his throat, and just for a few seconds, because he, before that, he's very strong, he just completely turned around and grabbed me by the throat. He said, [unclear: "and I said" / "he said"], now I'm going to show you what I'm going to do to you. And he kept me by the throat to the point that I couldn't breathe, so I put my hand up in the air, like, I surrender because I couldn't talk. And that's when he finally let go. And then he jumped out of the car, he said, I don't want to see you again. So I sat there because I was kind of out of breath, and I thought he was getting in his car to leave, because he started the car, and I was running, I could hear it running, because he was parked beside me. And the next thing I heard him say, it's 911 or whatever. And so I thought, oh, gosh, he's calling the cops. And so I got out, and then he got out and walked around, and was taking my license plates and that. And so that's when I got [unclear: "kind of a tight neck, kind of a car"], and I drove off. And then the more I thought about it, I thought, well, I should go and give my side of it, but I could not think of where a police station was in that area. So the only one I could think of was downtown, but then I realized there's one somewhere in Eglinton, and that's where I drove to.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Just on the last point, sir, did you go to that police station at Eglinton before the officers contacted you?

McArthur: Yeah, no, I went there, and then they came there to me. The lady that spoke to the, um, today, I told her came to make a statement and she said she ran my name and she says there's nothing coming up on the screen. I said well, what about my license plate? [Unclear: "She said they were short, too."] So that's when she called.

Det. Paul Gauthier: So you went on your own free will, it's not like an officer called you to come.

McArthur: No one called and accused me of anything like that.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay, so you indicated that this incident occurred with [name not audible]. What is the last name?

McArthur: I don't know his last name.

Det. Paul Gauthier: And how long have you known him for?

McArthur: Two or three years, maybe.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay, and as you're describing it, this is something that you're in an intimate relationship with. Is that right?

McArthur: Well, intimate. We see maybe, I see him maybe two, three months, maybe.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay, and how do the two of you meet?

McArthur: Online, I think. Online, I think.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay, has anything like this ever happened before where things got out of hand?

McArthur: Not that quickly. [Unclear: "other than that, not just like that."] Things have never gotten violent.

Det. Paul Gauthier: So you indicated that, I think it was around 6.30 p.m. you said?

McArthur: Between 6.30 and 7.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay, and you said you met the?

McArthur: Yeah, something like that, I think it was 6.30. [captions: "would be 6:37"]

Det. Paul Gauthier: And you said you met at the Tim Hortons parking lot at Bathurst and Finch, is that right?

McArthur: Yeah.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay, so it still would have been bright outside at 6.30, right?

McArthur: Mm-hmm.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay, and you indicated that you were going to have sex in his truck, but it was new.

McArthur: He suggested that and I said, well, there's more room in the back of my van than there is your truck.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay, what kind of truck did he have?

McArthur: Ford something, four-door.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay. And your van is?

McArthur: It's a Dodge Caravan.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Dodge Caravan. And you said that the two of you were parked beside each other, right?

McArthur: Yeah.

Det. Paul Gauthier: And then you went into your van, is that right? And then you said you started kissing?

McArthur: Yeah.

Det. Paul Gauthier: And that's when this incident basically happened, is that right?

McArthur: Well, then my hand went down in his pants and he said, squeeze, pinch it as hard as you can.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay. What part of the van were you in when this happened?

McArthur: Backseat.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Backseat. Like the backseat or like the very back of?

McArthur: Well, there's only one seat. Actually, the seats are all except for one seat, one bucket seat in there.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay.

McArthur: So there's a bit of room.

Det. Paul Gauthier: And was there a possibility for anybody else to see what had gone on?

McArthur: [speaker attribution uncertain] Yeah.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay. Why do you say that?

McArthur: Well, because you're lying on the floor. Who could see you?

Det. Paul Gauthier: Oh, so you were down some?

McArthur: Yeah, lying flat on the floor.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay. And you indicated that you started to pinch his penis and he indicated that he wanted it rougher.

McArthur: He said it's hard as you can do it.

Det. Paul Gauthier: And at that point you said that you motioned your hands up to his neck.

McArthur: Well, after, you know, we did that for a while till he was getting harder and harder.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay. Okay.

McArthur: So I figured he obviously liked that.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay. And what was your reason for bringing your hands up to his neck? What was your understanding?

McArthur: I just think I thought he liked it rough.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay.

McArthur: He was getting off [on] that.

Det. Paul Gauthier: And then you indicated that immediately he then put his hands around you or not?

McArthur: He was like, he was very strong and before you know it he just had completely swung around and was facing me on pushing me down and his hands were around my neck. Like really quick.

Det. Paul Gauthier: [Unclear: "So there was a very struggle?"]

McArthur: Yeah, well I couldn't struggle with him after once he had his hands around my neck, he was very strong.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay. How long did this last for approximately?

McArthur: Seconds.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay. Are you injured at all, sir?

McArthur: No.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Do you believe he would have been injured?

McArthur: I didn't think so.

Det. Paul Gauthier: [Lacey], do you have any questions?

Constable: No. That's pretty good.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Okay, sir, just before we conclude, is there anything else you feel might be important to tell us before we end the interview?

McArthur: Like what?

Det. Paul Gauthier: We always give people an opportunity to say something that maybe we haven't asked before we conclude.

McArthur: I don't know, we have had sex numerous times and never had a problem.

Det. Paul Gauthier: Sure. Okay. The time that I have is 10:28. [I'll] complete the interview here. ---